Halo 5 - A New Perspective

After the Gamescom weekend, I noticed that 343 had a post regarding a Halo 5 tournament that happened during that time. With full skepticism gearing up, I watched and waited to see those moments happen; the moments and abilities I feared that would ruin Halo 5. Skilled players would be able to fully exploit the games mechanics in front of the world and I would then be able to write off the rest of the series completely. But it wasn't that way at all. Something completely different was happening on screen that I didn't fully understand at first...

The game actually looked fun for once.

The pros were not sprinting everywhere, they were not using smart scope every time, and on top of it they were using clamber in ways that 343 hasn't talked about, hasn't showcased really like they should have been.

Seeing what else came out of Gamescom, they released more footage including this multiplayer video here where they utilize these maps in a very unique way for clamber. There's 5 different times that it's used including the very beginning. I know I cringed when I first read that they were making these maps around these abilities, but to actually see that they have created these spots specifically for it sets me at ease especially because it wasn't something I was expecting.

Sprinting was used very sparingly. They knew that whoever had their weapon ready would have a good advantage, and all of the weapons that have been designed to be deadly so "sprinting to get back into cover" really doesn't happen in these gunfights. I've only ever seen them use the thruster to catch their opponent off guard long enough to pull a kill.

Weapons look like they are on point. I know I said it before with Halo 4, but it's very apparent here now. The core gameplay has been perfected way beyond what Bungie has accomplished. Every weapon looks like they are viable and not under powered anymore. Yeah, they all do seem to have the smart scope for some reason, but now I feel it's irrelevant because you can de-scope your opponent.

I can't find where I said it, but I do remember before where I mentioned how Spartans didn't seem to fit with the technology they are built around. They didn't seem special enough, or something like that. This was back around Halo 2 I believe. Only just remembering that recently, it really made me think about this game differently from a new perspective.

They really seem to be putting forth their best efforts to make this game work. And yes while I do know they still have a lot to prove, and makeup for, I think I might actually buy this game. But I'm going to wait to see if it isn't the bug riddled game that was the MCC launch first. Free 15+ maps for Halo 5, and I believe they were talking about how that they will focus their efforts on MCC once they haven't completed Halo 5 sounds like a good start though...

This literally reads like me each August for the past 5 years before UT football season. Your eyes tell you you're seeing garbage, you've seen greatness before so you know what it looks like. But you tell yourself that maybe things are gonna break just right...

Then reality hits you square in the face and you realize that human garbage that has no concept of/ respect for your beloved is control of your favorite thing.

It can sure be a bitch and a half sometimes. I'm still going to play it smart and wait first.

That's hype for ya'. It's cool if you want to buy it, but I'd implore you to adhere to waiting first. There's zero reason to beli343 that this game won't be fucked at launch. People can play the "well the MCC was made by other people, blah blah blah". But that will never change the fact that their whole crew went on stage several times and said "ITS AWESOME, HALO JUST AS YOU REMEMBER IT" knowing full well it was broken.

Maybe Halo 5 will blow the community away. Maybe it really will be an awesome game. But make them prove that. Don't give them the benefit of the doubt.

And I totally agree which is why I'm waiting. It's pretty inexcusable to release the game the way they did knowing it was that bad. They should have pushed Halo 5 to next year to make sure MCC was their #1 priority. Either way, with the eSport focus, Halo finally getting picked back up again by MLG, and the million dollar tournamant prize does have me at least a little optimistic about how they are handling this game. Guess we'll see what happens in a few short months.

I'm curious to see what happens when they release the Halo 3 Anniversary in two years.

And I totally agree which is why I'm waiting. It's pretty inexcusable to release the game the way they did knowing it was that bad. They should have pushed Halo 5 to next year to make sure MCC was their #1 priority. Either way, with the eSport focus, Halo finally getting picked back up again by MLG, and the million dollar tournamant prize does have me at least a little optimistic about how they are handling this game. Guess we'll see what happens in a few short months.

I'm curious to see what happens when they release the Halo 3 Anniversary in two years.

I'm still not sold on this "eSport focus". Hiring old pros to say what you tell them to, plastering HCS all over everything, etc. means fuck all if the game isn't balanced competitively. Halo being knocked out of the competitive scene is something 343i obviously noticed especially in their marketing department. But we have no idea if the game will be the competitive powerhouse they're billing it to be until it's out in the wild.

At the end of the day, all we know about Halo 5 is exactly what 343i wants us to know. The stories they want to tell to get people like you and I to purchase the game. It's marketing, plain and simple. Wether or not it's a carefully spun tale or the legitimate truth will be sorted out post release, much as it was with Halo 4.

MLG picked Halo back up because Microsoft showed up with a truckload of money one cold, rainy night. The marketing team realized that it wasn't just focus groups who hated their prized franchise anymore.

Let's not construe it to mean that there are any redeeming elements to the game just yet.

I tend to agree with the assessment by Drew and Nizzity. The eSports hype is all marketing to our Halo nostalgia, and they think all that pro exposure will drive sales.

As Nizzity also said, it's meaningless that they have a pro team, they're on the payroll and won't rock the boat. If anything is clear, it's that 343 has been more than willing to show people who don't tow the line the door.

I'll also wait and see if it's not a buggy mess. With movies I can wait and see about reviews first, you bet your ass I was gonna see that fantastic 4 until the reviews came out, and I wasn't going to see mad max until I saw how great the reviews were.

Unfortunately the video game press just isn't trustworthy, I can't buy or not buy based on their reviews. TMCC case in point, how did no one write that it didn't work at all in the reviews.

If it's not a buggy mess I'll buy it at least for the campaign. I'm sure the campaign will have it's moments, and I've always wanted to see Blue team in action. I'm also down with supporting my boy Jeremy, as long as it's a functioning product.